Wireless communication is a virtual necessity in today's society as people increasingly use cordless phones, cellular phones, wireless data communication devices, and the like on a daily basis. The ability to communicate wirelessly has become pervasive in homes, businesses, retail establishments, and in the outdoors generally. Consequently, people can now communicate while in transit and in almost any environment.
Wireless communication involves the use of a limited resource: the electromagnetic spectrum. Different wireless communication schemes utilize different bands or segments of the electromagnetic spectrum in different manners. Typically, each particular segment of the electromagnetic spectrum is utilized in accordance with a wireless standard that has been created by a government entity, an industry consortium, and/or some other regulatory body.
There are many wireless standards under which wireless devices operate today. Example wireless standards include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth, Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)-2000, Wideband-CDMA (WCDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and so forth. Wireless standards that have a marketing-oriented name typically also have a corresponding more technical name for the standard. For example, the term “Wi-Fi” is usually considered to correspond to at least the IEEE 802.11(a), (b), and (g) standards. Similarly, the term “WiMAX” is usually considered to correspond to at least a subset of the IEEE 802.16 standard.
A wireless communication device that operates in accordance with any one of these standards or another standard can generally receive and transmit electromagnetic signal waves that occupy a portion of the frequency spectrum. Wireless communication devices are generally designed to operate within a particular frequency band so as to avoid interfering with competing electromagnetic signal waves. Different frequency bands offer different advantages and disadvantages for wireless communication. For example, different frequency bands have different propagation and interference characteristics. Moreover, the various wireless standards, which generally correspond to an assigned frequency band or bands, provide for different propagation, interference-resistance, range, throughput, and other characteristics. Generally, no individual frequency band or wireless standard can be optimum for all communications in all situations.